The Cut Golf Club

Magazine Ratings

Heading south of Perth for my last Top 100 golf course in the region, The Cut Golf Club, had me excited for some links play. I had heard mixed reports about the course from a few different sources, so I didn’t go in with high expectations. When I’m told by the pro-shop that the back nine would take care of me, I was wondering what the hell I was getting myself into.

The Cut Golf Club Entrance

Located about an our south of Perth, the course is located within a residential area, with housing found mainly around hole on the front nine.

Clubhouse at The Cut Golf Club

With all the necessary facilities, including locker room, bar and restaurant, I quite enjoyed the outdoor area overlooking the practice green and 10th tee. Great for a relaxing drink after the round.

The Cut Golf Club Course Map

Routing takes starts along the coast before moving inland between housing. The front nine is a lot more open than that of the back. By far more scenic is the second nine, taking in more of the coastal area meandering through dunes and natural scrub.

Scorecard for The Cut Golf Club

Play on the day was from the white tees, having been a bit off with my game the previous day. This was the last of four games over three days, before heading further south to one of my favourite wine regions in the country, Margaret River.

Hole 1 – 325 meter par 4

Reaching the first tee, the course grabbed my attention straight away. Hitting down slightly down hill, the imposing dune to the left adds some shape along with hiding a portion of the fairway, before a large rise is found to the green.

Panoramic shot of the 1st green

The green sits high on the dune with a couple of bunkers out to the left. It becomes obvious very quick, that being off line slightly will result in a lost ball. Playing long is not an option either unless you fancy a bit of rock climbing. Putting here needs to contend with a large undulation through the middle of the green. Good hole to start with, beign fairly forgiving off the tee, but requiring a little bit of accuracy on the second. Strategy wise, well try and keep to the left side, which is hard with the large hill protruding from the left side, allowing a clear shot.

Hole 2 – 306 meter par 4

Coming to the short par 4 second, the tee shot is required to carry over scrub before reaching the fairway. Playing relatively straight from tee to green, the fairway has ample width to land the ball, but need to avoid a bunker to the right, with the area surrounding this seems to slope towards. A large mound is located a bit further on to the left, which blocks part of the green, but also hides the line starting to narrow towards the green. The fairway itself has gentle undulations running the entire length, which has the potential to leave an awkward stance. Ideally playing down the right will allow an easier shot into the green.

Looking back from the 2nd green

For the approach, two bunkers at the front of the green need to be carried, or play between, with another large one right, built into the hill. The putting surface has some gentle slopes, with the rear running away.

After a good opening hole I was a bit disappointed with the second. It was quite straight and didn’t seem to have too much happening. There could be various reasons for this, I didn’t play it well (although I do try to be very objective not letting this influence my thoughts). Or maybe it was the view of a massive unit complex in my sight which was off putting, along with some of the housing. This doesn’t influence the architecture of the hole, but certainly the perception. I do try and block this out most of the time, but sometimes they are so intruding it is not possible.

Hole 3 – 280 meter par 4

Still playing along the edge of the coast, we get to the easiest hole on course. Again another tee shot over scrub, this hole has a slight turn at the end towards the left. One major difference between the 2nd and 3rd, is that the fairway of the latter sits down comfortably below the dunes either side, giving some protection from the elements. This won’t help the tee shot, although if slightly wide will feed the ball back in, but will for the approach. A large complex of bunkers sits out to the right of the fairway, which can be carried by most.

Looking back at the 3rd hole

As long as the fairway is found, the approach should be relatively easy. Except for those who have gone left off the tee. There is the potential for a blind shot to any rear pin position. Two bunkers short left and one right, need to be carried (or avoided off the tee for long hitters) with another two greenside right. This putting surface angles away to the left of the fairway and is relatively small.

This was a more enjoyable hole than the 2nd. It offers the player a lot of reward or risk if off line. The approach can be made in a multitude of ways, flying or running it in.

Hole 4 – 143 meter par 3

From the easiest hole to the easiest par 3, this mid length hole plays down a gentle incline. This is the last of the holes along the coast, for the front anyway, so take in the view whilst you can. A large dune cuts through the fairway, obscuring half of the green. The only part visible are the two bunkers centre and left, with the ground sloping down to the traps. Anything slightly long will run away from the green.

The 4th green with dunes beside

The putting surface sits angling away to the left, where a mound intersects into the back, leaving decent slopes either side. There are some stronger slopes on this green complex to navigate, but overall a nice par 3. A forgiving hole, unless you are wildly off line from the tee. At least those going way left have the advantage of taking a drop from the hazard. Anything right is a lost ball and re-hit. This has been the case since the 2nd hole, which I did not point out.

Hole 5 – 465 meter par 5

Heading inland is this medium length par 5, which has a double dog leg, first left then right. Playing from a highly elevated tee, you need to calculate your distances. A large bunker complex is to the left, with plenty of open fairway remaining to the right.

Bunkering along the 5th fairway

A large mound is then found running the second portion of the hole to the right, which is full of native bush. Cross bunkering is around the landing area for the second shot, so a decision needs to be made about laying up or taking them on.

Approach from the 5th fairway

Beyond the cross bunkers, the land falls away slightly, before rising at the green. One solitary trap is located to the left, of an average size putting surface, with some gentle slopes. A good hole which really makes you think with each shot, especially on whether to take on the risk of carrying bunkers with the first and potentially second shot.

Hole 6 – 300 meter par 4

One of the least interesting holes on the course, is this short par 4. It plays from an elevated tee. These usually should stand out and excite, but with such a wide straight fairway, it is all about whether you should take on the left fairway bunker or layup. There is a bit of undulation on the fairway, to influence the ball and the stance on the approach.

Looking back from the 6th green

Two large bunkers sit to the right of this green complex, which is a fairly small one (compared to others on the course). It slopes away on all sides, but has a few slopes to contend with. Maybe it is just me and the dead straight hole doesn’t grab my attention. Sure there have been some designed similar have really stood out before, just none come to mind.

Hole 7 – 302 meter par 4

Our first real encounter with water comes at this short par 4. With a turn to the right, bushes cover the danger lurking. A bunker is found on the outside of the turn. At this point the fairway is quite narrow, before opening up again to the green.

Play over water to the 7th green

Those laying up may face an approach over the water hazard, where as those taking on the risk, may hit over this leaving an easy pitch. The putting surface has one bunker to its left, but as for the surface it is fairly benign, with a few gentle slopes. Considering the land is extremely flat, the hole remains exciting, with a few decisions on how you should play the hole. It is interesting in the fact that at some stage water has to be taken on, unless the ball is pulled way left. Has some good strategic merits, although maybe quite forgiving for some, with a large wide open area beyond the fairway in the second portion of the hole.

Hole 8 – 394 meter par 4

Starting the journey back to the clubhouse is the longest par 4 at The Cut Golf Club, also ranked two on the index. The hole dog legs to the right playing up a slight slope, with a central bunker which will be in play for most golfers. Longer hitters have two further bunkers either side to avoid, where the fairway narrows to a neck.

Approach to the 8th green

Most people will be faced with a long iron to reach the green, with two traps to the right on the lead in, but will potentially protect pin positions this side. The putting surface sits slightly higher than the fairway, but relatively large, which it should be for such a long hole. Not the most exciting of holes to look at as the ground is relatively flat, but some shaping occurs around the well placed bunkers. Certainly a tough hole to reach in two if out of position slightly, but there is ample room on the fairway for the tee shot.

Hole 9 – 348 meter par 4

To complete the first loop is a mid length par 4 which doglegs to the left. With the placement of a bunker in the left portion of the fairway, focus is taken from how much width is available, of which there is plenty, to land the tee shot. Just beyond this bunker lies another, which will come into play if trying to cut the corner.

The 9th green sits slightly raised

With a fairway falling away before slightly rising again to the green, there is a strong slope located at the front portion of the green, but not enough to make repel balls just reaching. Bunkers are either side, the right side quite deep, while a large slope away is found at the rear. I didn’t mind this hole, although its asthetics were not spectacular. The bunkers appear close enough tempting most players to cut the corner, even though there is plenty of room to play safely to the right. Whilst the approach will require some accuracy, but allow a variety of shots to be played in various conditions.

Hole markers at The Cut Golf Club

Each hole has a nice marker, showing the hole number, par, map and distance from each tee. Unfortunately there has been a bit of weathering on some, so they are pretty hard to read. Pin flags were checquered without logo, hence showing the difference in the hole markers.

Hole 10 – 375 meter par 4

Well I hope you have ironed out any kinks on the front nine with your game, as it tightens up a little on the second nine. Starting the outward journey is a longish par 4 which turns to the right. Playing through a saddle, the landing area remains blind and quite narrow (maybe one of the narrowest for the day).

Approach from the 10th fairway

Sloping on the other side of the saddle will help some find the middle of the fairway, but anything slightly wide will be lost in the trees. The appraoch is made over some undulating land, before reaching a green tightly gaurded by bunkers to the right, with small run off areas around the rear. Again a green sitting slightly raised, but naturally integrated with the fairway. My biggest criticism of this hole is the landing area for the tee shot is very narrow. I don’t mind blind shots, but allow a bit of room when you do have them. This hole could be so much better with a bit of width.

Hole 11 – 273 meter par 4

Playing towards the sea is the shortest par 4 on the course. This is a relatively straight hole but has a lot of elevation change to contend with. Hitting over a gully before reaching the fairway, this then rises before falling away again. In stark contrast to the previous hole the fairway is almost twice as wide.

Looking back from the 11th green

Contours on the final section of fairway could lead to the ball sliding to the right portion. The lead up to the green is primary rough, so those trying to reach the hole in one will need a lot of carry, plus some accuracy as just short of the green heavy scrub encroaches to the right. A solitary bunker also sits on the right greenside, where the ground mainly slopes away. Playing left allows sloping back into the fairway. The putting surface is very undulating with large mounds and slopes in various directions, making it critical to find the same portion as the pin. Nice hole that could punish those taking on more than they should. For a straight hole I quite enjoyed it, even though I played it horribly.

Hole 12 – 367 meter par 4

At this point I made a monumental stuff up, playing the 18th instead of the 12th. Even after taking a photo of the sign for the 12th and the arrow pointing direction of play (idiot). What was worse is I had just managed to get through an extremely slow group which had been holding me up.

This is a hole you must play twice. The first time I totally hated it, but after looking back at photos and maps, I can see the various options available. From the tee a small area of shrub must be carried to reach the fairway, which is basically blind from the tee. Playing with a slight turn to the right, I was presented with what I thought was an extremely narrow fairway to hit. At the time I thought it bordered on the riduculous and was quite critical, even thinking that the teeing area should be staggered to allow some view. Well I’ve changed my mind. There is ample fairway to hit, provided you take on enough club, with a hump slightly right hiding a large portion of fairway.

Looking down the 12th fairway

This hole sits about as close as you will get to the beach, meandering its way around some of the dunes. Once beyond the large dunes to the right, the green can be seen, with the fairway narrowing the closer you get. Two bunkers help to decrease the fairway width left. Anything wide on either side will potentially be lost.

Scenic 12th green overlooks the Indian Ocean beyond

There are some gentle slopes on the putting surface, with the surrounds of the green, going mostly away. Those at the rear will see the hazard come into play. Upon first playing the hole I thought it was one of the most disappointing on some fantastic land.

View of the 12th green from 16th tee

On reflection it is a good hole on fantastic line, asking a lot of the player, especially from the tee, although the approach is no simple shot either. The design allows a variety of play, although I think the green surrounds are quite penal for any miss.

Hole 13 – 163 meter par 3

Playing away from the ocean is the longest and hardest par 3. A carry over scrub and sand is required before reaching shorter grass is found. This leaves ample room short of the green, handy if the wind is blowing quite strongly.

Bunkering short of the 13th green

Bunkers are found either side short of the green, however the right hand side cannot be seen from the tee due to a dune. Another large bunker is found beyond the green, although I do question how often this would come into play. Certainly not the most spectacular of the shorter holes on the course, but does offer some challenges, with bunkers deceptively short of the green and the right side being hidden.

Hole 14 – 353 meter par 4

Rated as the hardest hole on course, this mid length par 4 plays with a dogleg to the right. From an elevated tee, bunkers are in play either side of the fairway at the turn. It would be quite easy to drive through the fairway into the trees if playing more to the left, or find yourself coming up short in the scrub if taking too much on right. The ideal line would be over the right hand side bunker, allowing some room for the ball to run.

View along the 14th fairway

This hole takes you away from the coastal feel on the second shot, with larger trees either side along either side of the fairway. The green sits raised above the fairway, with bunkers just short on either side. On the surrounds there is not much room to miss. Nice strategic hole, which offers some risk verse reward on the tee. The green complex allows for a variety of shots depending on conditions, with the green front quite open.

Hole 15 – 447 meter par 5

Coming to the shortest and easiest par 5. From the tee it can be seen the hole has a few changes in direction and elevations to contend with. For the tee shot a wide landing area is available, with a bunker on the extreme right. The next shot is played up a slope, with a steady gradient, basically to the middle of a saddle.

The hidden 15th green

For those extremely long and confident, attempting to reach the green in two, would be played to a green hidden behind a dune. This has some strong undulations on its surrounds, some leading towards and others away from the green.

Looking down at the 15th green

Not one of my favourite designs with the green being totally blind. Although a very short par 5, it really takes out some of the temptation, with most players not attempting the risky shot due to not knowing its outcome. This is only the second hole I have seen on a par 5 with a green hidden, the other being at St Andrews Beach. I wish the green had of been partially hidden behind the dune, instead of totally. This would encourage a variety of play.

Hole 16 – 114 meter par 3

Climbing a hill we get to the shortest hole on the course. Looking back into the typical coastal vegetation, the green sits across on another rise, with some scrub sitting between.

Sitting against a dune is the 16th green

Interestingly the green sits angling away to the right, but hugs the dune tightly on the right. This leaves the back portion, slightly obscured. With a few undulations on the green and interesting slopes, it is a challenging putting surface, especially if in the wrong portion. Those creative enough may however use the surrounding slopes to their advantage. By far my favourite par 3 hole on the course. Even though it is short, a lot of imagination can be used if not quite in the right area of the green. Being elevated this is highly likely with any gusty winds.

Hole 17 – 274 meter par 4

The penultimate hole is a short par 4, which plays through a saddle in the fairway. Almost felt like I had been riding a horse with this many saddles, the most I had seen since playing Bonville Golf Resort. Having a slight turn to the right, it is quite easy to drive through the fairway, which slopes away dramatically beyond the hill.

Bunkering on the 17th fairway

Luckily for some the bunker at the end of the fairway may prevent the ball from running off into the scrub, but leave a testing shot into the green. Those thinking of taking on the corner will require the most accurate of shots due to a sloping fairway towards the vegetation.

Looking back at the 17th green

A relatively small green awaits, which has some gentle slopes, but some steep ones towards the rear, leading away. The surrounds are quite large with short grass, so plenty of options are available on how to recover. A memorable hole, but no push over for scoring. Very easy to take on more than you expect and be punished.

Hole 18 – 497 meter par 5

Finishing the round is the longest hole on course and hardest par 5. Another blind tee shot requires a carry over a dune. Luckily a pole has been put in position showing the ideal line. Trust the aim and fly it over this large dune, which will see the ball travel further due to the down slope on the other side.

Snaking 18th fairway

This hole has a couple of turns to contend with, first right from the tee, then left after the second. The green sits high on a hill, with multiple tiers running down its face. Bunkers protect anything going slightly wide, which will leave a difficult shot up the remainder of the hill. The fairway has quite a few undulations to contend with, making it interesting.

Looking back from the 18th green

The putting surface has some gentle undulations and slopes, falling away towards the rear. Challenging green to finish the round on. Certainly the best par 5 was left till the end, taking advantage of some great land, with good routing.

Looking at the course makeup:

• Hole Directions – There was a some variety allowing for conditions to have wide ranging effects during play. But a clear majority favoured an easterly direction. Holes 2-4 run in the same direction, not changing play much. As these sat right on the coast, you would be facing the same types of winds, which maybe assisting or hindering greatly, without reprieve
• Hole Lengths – Par three holes had a good variance in distance, the majority in mid length. Par four holes ranged from short to long with the majority being either short (exceeding the total of mid and long together). Par 5 holes ranged from mid to long with the former being the majority. There was good variety here with them all playing very differently
• Hole Layout – There was a decent mixture in how the holes played, although an overwhelming majority tended to favour turns to the right, where two shots or more were required to reach the green. This outnumbered those turning to the left almost two to one. Gladly these were broken up quite a bit with only two instances where consecutive holes turned in the same direction

Panoramic view of the 18th tee, 11th Green, 17th Green and 12th tee

In summary I had mixed feelings about The Cut. Parts of the course sits on some great land, straddling dunes along the coast, whilst other parts meander their way inland between housing or bush. The back nine was the stronger of the two, also more scenic, but ultimately also a lot more unforgiving. So is this truly an underrated track which has some great land or a course not living up to its potential?

Conditioning was pretty good overall, but I don’t really want to concentrate on that, because I find most courses in the Top 100 are usually better than reasonable. It comes down to how the holes have been designed and routed which really makes the difference.

Admittedly on the day I was actually on a tight time schedule, which also had some impact on initial thoughts. This was not helped by the slow groups being encountered, with some leaving after nine holes. Didn’t help speed up play either. I did walk away from the course with some bad impressions, but it was whilst looking back that I started to notice certain aspects that were not as bad as first thought. I always like to play a course a second time, to ensure that the initial feelings were correct. It also allows a better knowledge in how some of the holes work. In this case, with quite a few blind shots, it certainly is a must.

Having analysed a lot of the photos taken during my visit, some of this becomes really evident. A prime example being the 12th hole. From the tee it looks extremely tight and totally unforgiving, but after travelling down the fairway you find there is a lot more room to land the ball. It’s just hidden. I usually have no issue with blind shots, as long as the course is not penal on the landing area. The 10th went against that principle in my opinion and could be greatly improved with some widening of the fairway. On the 15th I am also not a fan of the hidden green. If this was partially hidden, I would find it more of a challenge where the risk might be taken to attack. In the current setup the risk is too extreme.

Taking out the housing aspects from which some of the front nine routes through (5-9), most of the land in that area wasn’t really great. Predominantly flat, although I thought there were a couple of good holes, in particular the 7th. With the fairway traversing a water body, the player is presented with an option to take on varying amounts of risk, but also being rewarded in proportion to the risk taken.

Some of the standout holes on the day were, 1, 3, 4, 7, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18. There were a few others which I enjoyed, but would not say they were extremely memorable.

This is certainly a course I would like to visit again some day to confirm my thoughts.

How to play at The Cut Golf Club:

1. The course allows public access seven days a week